10 Day Japan Road Trip Itinerary

9 July

We feel like this might be one of the most underrated routes for an incredible van life experience in Japan!
When we first started researching this trip ourselves, every search for “Japan road trip” would result in the same itinerary from Tokyo to Mt Fuji, (which of course is amazing, and was our first experience of road tripping Japan) however this time we collected our van from Osaka and wanted to experience the best of the tourist hotspots, and the lesser known hidden gems.
This route isn’t exactly what we followed on our road trip considering we had a few hiccups to start off (video here), but it is what we would have done if we had everything perfectly organised to get the absolute most out of 10 days!
**WATCH OUR FULL VAN LIFE JAPAN SERIES HERE!**

Day One:

🍣🍜 OSAKA

Japans kitchen

Dotonbori – Osaka’s chaotic (and iconic) street food hub. Neon lights, incredible street food, river views and big energy.

Shinsekai – Retro neighbourhood that feels frozen in the '60s.

Kuromon Market – Covered food market packed with delicious snacks.

Namba Yasaka Jinja – A quiet city shrine with a massive lion head stage- unique and oddly peaceful.

Osaka Castle – Restored samurai-era castle with wide parklands. Best at golden hour.

Samurai Campers – Friendly, English-speaking van rental based just outside the city.

Days Two & Three:

🌊 WAKAYAMA COAST

Beaches + Oceanside Onsen

Toyozunizaki Auto Camping Ground – Seaside campground with stunning ocean views, facilities and the friendliest camp hosts! You can book a site via Instagram DM for easy translation.

Shirarahama Beach – White-sand beach with clear water. Feels like a tropical paradise!

Saki-no-yu Onsen – Outdoor onsen right on the ocean’s edge. Traditional setup, incredible views.

Rinkaiura Beach – Small, sheltered bay. Great for swimming or just a quiet place to relax.

Day Four

🏯 NACHIKATSUURA

Sacred Sites + Waterfall

Kumano-Nachi Taisha – One of the three Grand Shrines of Kumano. Tucked into the forest with towering trees.

Nachi Waterfall – Japan’s tallest waterfall (133m). Framed perfectly behind Seiganto-ji’s pagoda.

Road Station Nachi – Michi-no-eki with clean toilets, parking, and walking access to the beach.

Kiyomon-yu Onsen – Local bathhouse with the option for a private onsen.

Days Five & Six

🏞️ YUNOMINE & KAWAYU

Remote Onsens + Mountain Roads

Yunomine Onsen – One of Japan’s oldest hot spring towns (~1,800 years old). A UNESCO pilgrimage stop. You either take a bath yourself or boil eggs in the public spring (or both).

Kawayu Onsen – River with naturally hot water flowing beneath the pebbles. Dig your own bath in the riverbed.

Watarase Onsen – Resort-style onsen with several rotenburo (outdoor baths) and private rental hotsprings.

Hisetsunotaki Campground – Paid campground immersed in nature with a swimming waterfall and sauna tents you can book for an hour.

Kobune Campground – A quiet, riverside free campground. A good alternative to a road station stay for nature lovers.

Doro Kyo Gorge – Scenic canyon with boat tours through emerald water and cliffs. Peaceful with minimal crowds.

Totsukawa-go Michi-no-eki – Roadside station surrounded by mountains with a free hot spring foot bath.

Day Seven

🦌 NARA

Temples, Forests & Sacred Deer

Mitarai Falls – Short forest walk to a beautiful multi-step waterfall. One of the most stunning landscapes we saw on our trip, plus we had it all to ourselves!

Miyoshino Auto Campsite – Well-maintained mountain campground with showers and a public sauna.

Tsubosaka-dera – Large temple with sweeping valley views.

Nara Deer Park – Famous for the free-roaming, semi-domesticated deer. Super cute, but can be slightly aggressive for crackers 🤣

Day Eight

🌳 LAKE BIWA

Japans largest freshwater lake

Shirahige Shrine – Floating torii gate in Lake Biwa. Best at sunrise or sunset.

Shiramaso Auto Campground – Lakeside campground, walking distance to swimming beaches.

Imazuhama / Makino Sunny Beach – Easy swimming, calm water, and mountain views across the lake.

8 Seas Sauna Hira – Didn’t get the chance to visit ourselves but the facilities look amazing and it’s on the bucket list for next visit!

Days Nine & Ten

⛩️ KYOTO

Iconic Shrines + Garden Breaks

Fushimi Inari Taisha – Thousands of torii gates winding up a sacred mountain. Go early to see it without crowds, trust us it’s worth it!

Jonangu Shrine – Less visited garden shrine in southern Kyoto.

Ninenzaka – Preserved historical street with tea shops, pottery stores, and traditional buildings.

Murin-an Garden – A quiet Meiji-era garden hidden near Nanzen-ji. Enjoy a tea on the tatami mats overlooking the garden.

Kyoto Botanical Gardens – Open lawns, seasonal flowers, and lots of space to chill before returning to the crowds of the city.

Arashiyama Bamboo Grove – Iconic (and incredibly busy) but still worth it if timed right (early morning or dusk).

Extra Tips

Michi-no-eki = Roadside stations that allow free overnight stays. Most have bathrooms, vending machines, shops, and sometimes onsen.

Onsen = Public baths that vary from rustic to resort-style. We have listed some private use onsen in this itinerary as many traditional public onsen do not allow tattoos. It is worth doing some further research into Onsen etiquette before your first visit.

Driving = Roads can be extremely narrow in mountain areas. Take it slow and pay attention to the mirrors on the road.

Food = You don’t need to stock up like in Australia! Even if there are no restaurants or grocery store around (which is rare), you can almost always find a konbini nearby, which also have amazing food!

Extra tips/gear = Quick-dry towels, sandals for bathhouses, Japan eSIM (use code JACKANDMEGAN for 10% off an eSIM with UBIGI).

Megan Dunn

10 Day Japan Road Trip Itinerary

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